Keep Exploring

There’s something undeniably sad about a travel blogger who doesn’t travel. Sure, I have a lifetime of memories and have done my fair share of travelling over the years, but memories can only keep you going for so long. There comes a time when reminiscing just won’t do anymore. It’s time to get out there and go exploring again.

Camel riding in Morocco

Walking with lions in Zimbabwe

Easier said than done. Both Gareth and I have full time jobs (Gareth went back to work this week after a few months off to look after the little traveller) and suddenly we find ourselves confined by school holidays. Aidan started with kindergarten this week and we have now inevitably joined the ranks of those who have to take their breaks whenever the school calendar demands it. Fortunately for us, there are quite a few long weekends on the horizon as a result of this, as well as mandatory longer holidays in June and December – perfect for our plans this year.

In the past we aimed to visit a foreign destination every other year, alternated with something localised to Africa. Although Aidan has proven himself to be the perfect little airplane traveller on two recent trips down to the Cape last year, we are not ready to push our luck with long flights just yet (for those who don’t know, Europe is anything from 10 to 12 hours away, depending on who you fly with, and the Americas, Asia or Australia and New Zealand are even further away). So we’ll be keeping it close to home and we intend on visiting some new and interesting, as well as familiar and beloved, destinations in South Africa this year, culminating in a special surprise in December for Gareth’s birthday. Watch this space!

View over Walker Bay in Hermanus

Lavender fields near Franschhoek

I now have the exciting task of planning, organising and setting in motion all of our travel plans for 2017! Our Easter break has already been booked (we are going to Knysna and I simply cannot wait!) and I have some ideas for the rest of the year. We’ll definitely head down to Hermanus again for our annual whale watching trip in September, but apart from this I’ve wanted to pay a visit to the Drakensberg mountains again, I have a deep and urgent need to go to Augrabies for some reason, and I’d like to go see if Durban can redeem itself (unlikely if we’re going in peak season, but we’ll see). I also desperately want to go camping again, preferably somewhere pet-friendly so that I can take my furry baby along too (so if you have any recommendations for good camping spots not to far from Gauteng, please leave them in the comments below).

Cute little Wellie boots just made for exploring

Gareth and Loki, our furry baby

Planning for three (and perhaps a four-footed traveller too!) is a new challenge for me, one which I’m looking forward to. If you have any tips on camping or travelling with babies, please let me know. My mission this year is to prove to myself that, just because there is a little one along now too, doesn’t mean we can’t keep exploring like we used to. In fact, I can’t wait to show Aidan the great, big, beautiful world out there!

Are you travelling with little children or pets? What are your favourite destinations and why? Spill the beans on your best tips to make these trips as fun and hassle-free as possible!